I 



Miscellaneous, 349 



be caused by incipient paralysis. From this he had pretty nearly 

 recovered, only complaining of a shght *' woolliness" in his brain, 

 when on the Saturday before his death he went to Yarmouth with 

 an invalid friend. On Sunday night he was attacked by a difficulty 

 of breathing, which continually increased until about half-past 

 twelve, when he tranquilly departed from this world. 



Early in life Mr. Yarrell was celebrated as a keen and successful 

 sportsman, but during this sporting phase of his existence neither 

 neglected the management of his business, nor, what is of more im- 

 portance to us, the cultivation of his innate taste for natural history, 

 for he was busily engaged in forming collections illustrative of the 

 natural history of this country, especially of its Birds and Fishes, 

 and in making notes of their habits, which stood him in good stead 

 when at the mature age of forty he began to write upon his favourite 

 science. His first paper, containing " Notices of the occurrence of 

 some rare British Birds observed during the years 1823, 1824 and 

 1825," was published in the * Zoological Journal' in the latter year. 

 From this time he seems gradually to have relinquished the gun and 

 the rod for the pen, and his communications subsequently appeared 

 pretty frequently in the periodical above mentioned, in 'Loudon's Ma- 

 gazine of Natural History,' and in this Journal. He also contributed 

 valuable papers to the Transactions of the Royal, Linneean, and Zoolo- 

 gical Societies ; but the works upon which his fame chiefly rests, 

 and those with which the English student at all events will princi- 

 pally connect the name of Yarrell, are the admirable Histories of 

 British Birds and Fishes, published in a style of such unrivalled ex- 

 cellence by Mr. Van Voorst. In these works we find accuracy of 

 scientific research, combined with a plain but agreeable mode of 

 communicating information on the details of the natural history of 

 particular species, such as has rarely been equalled ; and these 

 Histories of British Birds and Fishes will always remain of the 

 highest value to the investigator of the natural history of these islands, 



Mr. Yarrell was elected a Fellow of the Linncean Society in 1825, 

 and for some years before his death he was a Vice-President and the 

 Treasurer of that Society. He was also one of the founders of the 

 Zoological Society, and a constant attendant at its meetings ; and for 

 many years he was the Treasurer of the Entomological Society. 



Whilst thus distinguished in the scientific world, Mr. Yarrell's 

 social qualities endeared him highly to his acquaintances. His more 

 intimate friends always spoke of him in terms of affectionate regard, 

 and even those who knew him superficially could never be insensible 

 to the kindhness of his nature. To quote the words of a writer in 

 the ' Athenaeum,' who evidently knew him well, " His judgment was 

 clear and sound, his appreciation of the value of facts and of evidence 

 most accurate, his advice always practical and thoughtful. His 

 truthfulness and simple-heartedness were even childlike, his temper 

 gentle, his heart loving and affectionate, and he was liberal and 

 charitable almost to the verge of imprudence. A kindlier spirit 

 never 11 veo.. ,, ^f^^, -,,, ^,,t ,\r,.t\i iimijun lu ino ^nn u\f 



